This course is based on a simple idea. If you want to be able to claim to be an educated person, you need to know about and understand what is going on in the world around you. And if you want to understand what is happening the world, you need to know something about where it happens. In other words, if you want to understand current events you need to have a basic understanding of human and physical geography.

A primary focus of this course is therefore the connection between current events and geography. You will follow the news closely by reading the international news in the Washington Post every day. Our class discussions will focus largely on current events, and we will examine the many ways in which an understanding of the human and physical geography of the various regions of the world helps us to follow the what's going on there. (For a pdf copy of a typical course syllabus, click here.)

Of course, if you want to understand how geography helps shape world affairs, you first need to learn some of the basic facts, patterns, and processes that comprise the geographies of the various regions of the world. You will learn much of this from your text, Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts, by Harm J. de Blij and Peter O. Muller. You will also make extensive use of Goode's World Atlas, an atlas containing numerous excellent regional and thematic maps.

Geog 101 is an introductory course, intended primarily for students who have little or no background in geography or international affairs. I hope the course will pique your interest in geography, and that you will decide to sample some of the many course offerings in the University of Mary Washington Geography Department. But even if you choose not to go further in geography, I hope that the course persuades you of the importance of geographic understanding, and provides you with a sold basis for understanding the world around you.

Donald N. Rallis

Associate Professor

Department of Geography

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, Virginia

United States of America

I took the pictures on this page in and around Cape Town, South Africa, in 2007.

This page was last updated on Jun 21, 2010